Cork cardiologist warning obesity epidemic must be tackled as a matter of urgency in wake of pandemic

Thursday, 6 May 2021 12:11

Professor Carl Vaughan is a consultant at the Mercy University Hospital and CUH and is encouraging anyone struggling with obesity to take immediate steps to look after their health.

Prof Vaughan has helped to develop a new programme in association with Cork-based Advanced Medical Services to identify people who are likely to be at future risk of developing significant cardiovascular disease, which is the number one killer of Irish people every year.

Speaking to RedFM News, Prof Vaughan says Covid has pushed the problem of obesity back into the spotlight:

"It was recognised early in the pandemic that people that were overweight tended to get sicker, with this virus, and that was observed in Italy and it was observed in our Intensive Care Units around Ireland as well. It became very obvious that a substantial number of patients coming in very sick with COVID-19 were overweight, and that they had other conditions that are also generated by being overweight, such as high blood pressure and diabetes."